After anxiously waiting four months for the NFL lockout clouds to clear, a handful of former Syracuse University free agents were among those who scrambled to find their spots in the new pro football landscape Tuesday.

Center Ryan Bartholomew headed 40 minutes down the road from his home in Mitchellville, Md., to close a deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Middle linebacker Derrell Smith had worked lined up with Tampa Bay. And defensive back Mike Holmes landed a contract with the Chicago Bears.

“I’m always a little nervous. But keep strong,” Bartholomew said. “Once the lockout was lifted, it just got crazy. It’s just very hectic.”

Representatives for ex-Orange defensive tackles Bud Tribbey and Anthony Perkins said Tuesday afternoon that their clients were closing in on contracts, too, although they did not offer specifics.

Punter Rob Long, who is also on the market, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.

Like most of the other free agents, the signed SU players cashed in on the networking they started at the NFL combine last winter. Michael Courter, Smith’s agent, said Bucs coach Raheem Morris helped close the deal with a phone call to the player Monday night.

While the personal touch helped, Courter said Smith was sold on the opportunities provided him by Tampa Bay’s 4-3 defensive scheme and the opportunity for a quick ascent up the team’s depth chart.

“He had a lot of teams calling for him yesterday. We’re excited with his being on Tampa,” Courter said. “I feel like it’s a great opportunity for him, not only to make an immediate impact on special teams, but in training camp he’s going to get a lot of reps at middle linebacker. They are a team that gives young players chances.”

Bartholomew sees the same window with the Ravens. At the NFL combine, he came in first among the 56 offensive linemen with 34 reps, second in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.97 seconds, and ninth in the 20-yard shuttle.

While that wasn’t enough to get him drafted, that snub is irrelevant now as Bartholomew gets a chance to compete for a job on equal footing with the more regarded prospects.

“It’s just an opportunity to make the team, (stay) close to home,” Bartholomew said of picking the Ravens. “I just felt comfortable.”

Bartholomew should feel at ease in camp for reasons that go beyond geography. The Ravens’ roster also includes two of his former Syracuse teammates, Art Jones and Jameel McClain. Bartholomew said both talked to him about joining the team.

“They didn’t twist any arms,” Bartholomew said. “But they just told me about Baltimore, how great it is.”